Step Two: "Stir together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to a simmer, and simmer, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Pour over popcorn, and stir gently to coat."

Step One: "Combine butter, cheese, flour, cornmeal and cayenne (if using) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture has the texture of wet sand. Transfer to a bowl."

Step Two: "Using a fork, mix in egg until dough holds together. Turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper about 12 inches long. Top with another sheet of parchment and press dough into a ½-inch thick circle."

Step Three: Freeze for 15 minutes. Remove dough from freezer and roll into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 10 inches long. Return to freezer for an additional 15 minutes."

Step Four: "If desired, paint almonds. Mix a tiny amount of food coloring with a tiny bit of water. Using a small paintbrush, paint color onto almonds and set aside."

Step Five: "Remove dough from freezer and preheat oven to 350º."

Step Six: "Peel off top sheet of parchment. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into two 8×5-inch sections."

Step Seven: "Then cut into about 30 ½-inch wide strips. Place strips on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, to taste."

Step Eight: "Use your fingers to shape each strip, rounding the ends and bending in various directions to create a knobby shape. Using a sharp knife, score “knuckles” onto each “finger.”

Step Nine: "Lightly dab one edge of each finger with water, then gently press the almonds into the dough."

Step 10: "Bake for about 15 minutes, until the fingers are golden and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely."